When All Else Fails
by Lina-Li1
Summary: When tragedy strikes two members of the group must help each other overcome their grief. IK some MS
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.  
  
This takes place after the series. Kagome and Inuyasha have been married for some time. So have Sango and Miroku.  
  
  
  
When All Else Fails Ch. 1  
  
"Oh, it is so nice to be back in our own home," Kagome said, "Don't get me wrong. I love going to visit my family over the holidays but it is really nice to come back and have it just be our own little family." She smiled up at her husband. "Besides, it just wasn't the same without Sango and Miroku there this year."  
  
Inuyasha smiled back at his wife, "I can understand though. I won't wasn't you doing a lot of going back and forth through the well when you're that far along."  
  
It had been five years since Kagome had originally come to Sengoku Jidai. Four years had passed since the final battle with Naraku. After finishing high school, Kagome now lived most of her life in Sengoku Jidai. However the well still remained open, to all of them now as well as Kagome's family. They had used the jewel so that Inuyasha could control his transformations and Kagome would have the lifespan of a hanyou. The two had gotten married by human standards two years ago. Miroku and Sango had wed a month later. Now Miroku and Sango were expecting their first child within the next week. Kagome herself was four months pregnant.  
  
She thought back to the day she had found out. She had been so nervous about telling Inuyasha. Her nerves were unfounded though because, much to her surprise, Inuyasha was really excited about becoming a father. In fact he was probably more excited about the news than she had been. He had spent a week telling everyone in the village that he was going to be a father. For the most part the villagers would congratulate him and the walk away marveling at how much the dog demon had changed since the young miko had shown up five years ago. Kaede had smiled and told the young couple that she was very happy for them and excited that she would get a chance to play the role of a grandmother to the child.  
  
Sango had been excited when she had found out that Kagome and Inuyasha would have a child so close in age to her and Miroku's child. She and Kagome had spent two weeks straight discussing names, baby clothes, whether they thought the babies would be boys or girls, and other baby related topics. Miroku was also happy about the whole thing although his enthusiasm was a bit subtler. Shippo was bouncing off the walls about the fact that he was no longer going to be the "kid" of the group.  
  
Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Inuyasha as he wrapped his arms around her. She sighed happily, "I wish I could stay like this forever."  
  
Inuyasha nuzzled her neck. He knew exactly what she meant. He couldn't remember ever feeling so content before as he did that moment. He often wondered what he had done to deserve such happiness. Kagome told him he deserved it because of all the suffering he had endured in the past with his parents and Kikyou, who was now at peace. He smiled down at Kagome and said teasingly, "You want to stay pregnant forever? Because I'm sure we can arrange that."  
  
Kagome laughed he warm laugh that Inuyasha loved, "Oh come on. You know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah, I do," he replied, "unfortunately though, we have to eat and sleep and do work around the village. Not to mention your doctor appointments. So we can't just stay here forever."  
  
"How about for the rest of tonight then?"  
  
"Now that, we can do."  
  
"INUYASHA! KAGOME!" came a new voice from outside.  
  
"Or maybe not," Kagome finished for Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha glared at the young kitsune as he came through the door. Somehow, Shippo always managed to interrupt his and Kagome's "moments." Even Kagome sighed in disappointment this time but still put on a smile to greet Shippo.  
  
"Hi Shippo. What's going on?" she asked him.  
  
"I heard you guys were back. I came to say hi and to tell you that Kaede has something for you. Did you bring me anything?"  
  
Kagome let out a laugh due to the fact that Shippo had said the entire thing in one breath. She looked over at Inuyasha and the two of them reluctantly followed the kitsune out of their hut and over to Kaede's to see what she had for them.  
  
When they reached Kaede's hut, they found Sango and Miroku there as well. Sango told Kagome that she and Kaede had been working on their first baby present for Kagome and Inuyasha. Kaede brought out a small sack. Inside were a miniature red yukata and a small blanket.  
  
"Thanks minna," Kagome replied and Inuyasha actually nodded in agreement.  
  
"Now," Kaede said, "why don't you two head home? I'm sure you want to spend a bit of time alone together."  
  
Inuyasha sent Kagome a smirk and the picked her up and carried her off back to their home. 


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2  
  
A week later Kagome was returning to the future to visit her doctor. She was a bit reluctant to leave however since Sango had not yet given birth. "Someone will come tell me if anything happens?" she asked. Inuyasha nodded. He wasn't coming with her because the recent snow had caused some of the villagers' roofs to fall in and he had been asked to help with the repairs. After much insistence from Kagome he had finally agreed, although he was still weary of the fact that Kagome would be traveling without him.  
  
When Kagome got back through the well she called for a cab, knowing that Inuyasha would not be happy if he found out that she had walked to the train station in the freezing cold weather in her condition. When the cab arrived she yelled to Sota, "Sota, Inuyasha might show up later. If he does can you bring him on the train or call him a cab? Thanks." She then hopped into the back seat and told the driver the address of the doctor's office.  
  
Kagome was enjoying the ride. There was snow everywhere and it made the world look absolutely gorgeous. She found herself thinking about taking her child out during the first snow of next year. She was pulled out of her thoughts; however, as she noticed the cab driver had slowed down considerably.  
  
"Sorry, miss. We've got to go slow. These roads are getting kind of slick."  
  
Kagome nodded, "Take your time. I mad sure to give us plenty of time to get there."  
  
Despite the slow going, Kagome continued to enjoy the ride. Her driver turned out to be one of the chatty types. He talked with her about both of their marriages and congratulated her when she informed him that she was pregnant. He asked her about life at a shrine and she asked about his family. The talked about music, movies, and sports. All in all it was quite a pleasurable drive.  
  
That changed, however, when they were about five minutes away from the doctor's office. At that point the car next to them hit a patch of ice. It first swerved away from them before over-correcting and clipping the front end of the cab. The impact sent the cab spinning across the lane.  
  
For Kagome, time slowed. Her mind was filled with her memories of Inuyasha. She saw the moment she told him she was pregnant, their wedding in her time, his proposal, their last fight with Naraku, the time he had cried for her, coming back after he had chosen to protect Kikyou, him pushing her through the well after their second fight with Sesshomaru, the first time she saw him in his human form, the fights with the Thunder Brothers and Yura. Finally, she way him as she had first found him, pinned to the tree. She looked out the window to find herself heading straight toward a giant tree, How ironic, now I'll be the one stuck to a tree. That was her last thought before everything went black.  
  
Back in Sengoku Jidai, Sango had just gone into labor. As Miroku ran off towards Kaede's hut, Inuyasha yelled to him, "I'm gonna go tell Kagome. We'll be back here as soon as possible." When he was halfway to the well he felt tightness in his chest, Something's wrong. Kagome's in trouble. He increased his speed, his worry causing his adrenaline to increase his already abnormal speed. When he reached the other side, he found Sota running out towards the well and he saw flashing lights coming from the front of the shrine.  
  
"Inuyasha," Sota gasped, "I was just coming to get you. The police are here. There was an accident. Kagome's been hurt really badly. Make yourself look human and they'll drive us to the hospital."  
  
Inuyasha transformed and the two of them ran to the house. Inuyasha was a nervous wreck the entire ride to the hospital. He had known he shouldn't have let Kagome leave by herself and now she had been hurt and the ice was making it take forever to get to her. It was driving him insane that he didn't even know how bad her condition was.  
  
When they reached the hospital they raced to the information desk and asked about Kagome. The nurse shuffled through some papers and told them, "It appears she is still in the ER. If you'll please take a seat, someone will be around soon to talk with you."  
  
Sota let out a half whimper, "She's still in the ER? That can't be good. She must be hurt really, really badly."  
  
Inuyasha, in a daze, walked over to the waiting area and took a seat, with Sota sitting down beside him. About five minutes later, a doctor came out of one of the rooms and walked over to them, "Are you Kagome Higurashi's family?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded, "This is her brother and I'm her husband. He mother is also probably on the way."  
  
The doctor nodded and motioned for them to follow him. He ushered them into a smaller room. He looked right at Inuyasha and said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you, but we lost the baby. There was nothing we could do."  
  
Inuyasha felt as if his heart shattered. Then he gulped and nervously asked, "What about Kagome? She'll be okay, won't she?"  
  
Kagome had to be all right. Inuyasha didn't know what he would do if he lost Kagome. He looked up to see the doctor's face and regretted doing so as he was met with a grim expression. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still do not own Inuyasha .  
  
A/N: The characters may get a bit OOC for a while but they should be back in character by the end of the fifth chapter. Also for those of you that asked about this in your reviews: this is not a death fic, so don't worry. I don't like killing off any of the good guys.  
Ch. 3  
  
The doctor looked very seriously at Inuyasha and Sota, "Kagome has sustained very serious injuries. She has suffered a broken arm, broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken cheekbone, some lacerations, as well as some internal bleeding and a possible head injury. At this point she is in a coma and it is really too early to tell if she will recover. She's being moved up to the intensive care unit, once she arrives there, you may go in and sit with her for short periods of time. Sit with her, talk to her. There is some reason to believe that she will still here you."  
  
Inuyasha nodded and followed the doctor out of the room and up to the floor where the intensive care unit was. When he and Sota arrived, they found Mrs. Higurashi talking anxiously to one of the nurses at the desk. Inuyasha headed over and put a hand on his mother-in-law's shoulder.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi jumped and turned around, "Oh! Inuyasha." She didn't get any farther though as some orderlies appeared, bring Kagome up to her cubicle. As anxious as he was to see his wife, Inuyasha was prepared to let her mother see her first. But Mrs. Higurashi refused and sent Inuyasha in to sit with Kagome.  
  
When he walked into the room, Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat. Kagome lay on a bed attached to all kinds of tubes and machines, looking more fragile than he had ever seen her before. She was covered in scratches and slowly developing bruises. Her right cheek was extremely swollen and she was developing a couple of black eyes. The sight brought tears to Inuyasha's eyes, especially since he knew he couldn't even see the worst of the damage. He pulled the chair in the room over to the side of her bed and took her hand that was not splinted. He used his other hand to brush her bangs off her forehead as he began to talk to her. "Oi, wench," he started with affection, trying to get a reaction out of her. When he got none he continued on, "It was worth a try. Anyway you have to hang in there Kagome. We've already lost the baby. If I lose you too, I don't know what I'll do. You have to open your eyes. Come back to me."  
  
He watched her for a few minutes but she have him no sign that she had heard him. Somewhat dejected, he laid his head down nest to hers on the pillow, trying to take in as much of her as possible I case he didn't get another chance. He stayed like this until the nurse came in to tell him his time was up. Then, before getting up to leave, he leaned towards Kagome's ear and whispered, "I love you Kagome. Now and forever." For a fraction of a second he could have sworn she squeezed his hand but it was over so fast that he concluded that it must have been his imagination.  
  
He walked into the hallway only to be pounced upon by Shippo who had suddenly appeared with Miroku. "See?" Shippo exclaimed, "I told you I would find him." "Ah, Inuyasha," Miroku said, "We came to find you and tell you that Sango has given birth to a healthy baby boy. We have named him Yusuke." Inuyasha lifted his tear-stained face to meet Miroku's beaming one.  
  
"Why Inuyasha, what is wrong?"  
  
"You guys don't realize what this place is do you? This is where they bring sick and injured people in this time. Kagome was involved in a bad accident before I got here. She lost the baby and the doctors don't even know for sure that she'll survive," by the time Inuyasha had finished explaining, he was actively crying again.  
  
This news stunned Miroku, "Oh. Oh, my. I am so sorry. I-I didn't know."  
  
Inuyasha nodded in acknowledgment and turned to walk back towards Kagome's family, which now included her grandfather as well. Miroku gathered up Shippo and the two left to give Inuyasha and the Higurashis time to deal with this news and to go tell Kaede and Sango what had happened. It wasn't something he was looking forward to, but Inuyasha was obviously in no condition to be the one to do it.  
  
When they reached the village in Sengoku Jidai, Miroku and Shippo reluctantly stepped into Kaede's hut, where Sango was also staying. Sango watched her husband walk in and smiled, "Where are Kagome and Inuyasha?"  
  
Miroku sighed, "I'll tell you in a minute. Where is Kaede-sama?"  
  
"She's in the back room," Sango replied, her smile fading.  
  
Miroku went to get Kaede. When he brought her back, he looked at the women and said, "I'm afraid I've got some bad news. As you know, Shippo and I went to find Inuyasha and Kagome-sama to tell them of Yusuke's birth. Well we found them. At a place where they take the sick and injured in that time. Apparently, before Inuyasha got to the other side of the well, there was an accident. Kagome-sama has been hurt quite badly. She and Inuyasha have lost their baby and there is no guarantee the Kagome-sama herself will survive either."  
  
He heard Sango gasp and watched Kaede's eyes cloud over at the news. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Sango began to cry. Kaede then spoke up, "This is horrible. What a dreadful situation to have happen to Inuyasha and Kagome. Even if Kagome survives, Inuyasha has lost the child he was so looking forward to. This is one more blow to him in the rough life that he has lived. If he loses Kagome as well, it could end up being more than he can handle."  
  
The others thought about what she said. As devastating as they found the situation, it couldn't even come close to what Inuyasha must be going through. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: While I hope that someday I would have enough money to own the rights to Inuyasha, I do not currently own Inuyasha or any of the characters.  
  
A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers so far. I'm so happy to get reviews from you.  
When All Else Fails Ch. 1  
  
"Oh, it is so nice to be back in our own home," Kagome said, "Don't get me wrong. I love going to visit my family over the holidays but it is really nice to come back and have it just be our own little family." She smiled up at her husband. "Besides, it just wasn't the same without Sango and Miroku there this year."  
  
Inuyasha smiled back at his wife, "I can understand though. I won't wasn't you doing a lot of going back and forth through the well when you're that far along."  
  
It had been five years since Kagome had originally come to Sengoku Jidai. Four years had passed since the final battle with Naraku. After finishing high school, Kagome now lived most of her life in Sengoku Jidai. However the well still remained open, to all of them now as well as Kagome's family. They had used the jewel so that Inuyasha could control his transformations and Kagome would have the lifespan of a hanyou. The two had gotten married by human standards two years ago. Miroku and Sango had wed a month later. Now Miroku and Sango were expecting their first child within the next week. Kagome herself was four months pregnant.  
  
She thought back to the day she had found out. She had been so nervous about telling Inuyasha. Her nerves were unfounded though because, much to her surprise, Inuyasha was really excited about becoming a father. In fact he was probably more excited about the news than she had been. He had spent a week telling everyone in the village that he was going to be a father. For the most part the villagers would congratulate him and the walk away marveling at how much the dog demon had changed since the young miko had shown up five years ago. Kaede had smiled and told the young couple that she was very happy for them and excited that she would get a chance to play the role of a grandmother to the child.  
  
Sango had been excited when she had found out that Kagome and Inuyasha would have a child so close in age to her and Miroku's child. She and Kagome had spent two weeks straight discussing names, baby clothes, whether they thought the babies would be boys or girls, and other baby related topics. Miroku was also happy about the whole thing although his enthusiasm was a bit subtler. Shippo was bouncing off the walls about the fact that he was no longer going to be the "kid" of the group.  
  
Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Inuyasha as he wrapped his arms around her. She sighed happily, "I wish I could stay like this forever."  
  
Inuyasha nuzzled her neck. He knew exactly what she meant. He couldn't remember ever feeling so content before as he did that moment. He often wondered what he had done to deserve such happiness. Kagome told him he deserved it because of all the suffering he had endured in the past with his parents and Kikyou, who was now at peace. He smiled down at Kagome and said teasingly, "You want to stay pregnant forever? Because I'm sure we can arrange that."  
  
Kagome laughed he warm laugh that Inuyasha loved, "Oh come on. You know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah, I do," he replied, "unfortunately though, we have to eat and sleep and do work around the village. Not to mention your doctor appointments. So we can't just stay here forever."  
  
"How about for the rest of tonight then?"  
  
"Now that, we can do."  
  
"INUYASHA! KAGOME!" came a new voice from outside.  
  
"Or maybe not," Kagome finished for Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha glared at the young kitsune as he came through the door. Somehow, Shippo always managed to interrupt his and Kagome's "moments." Even Kagome sighed in disappointment this time but still put on a smile to greet Shippo.  
  
"Hi Shippo. What's going on?" she asked him.  
  
"I heard you guys were back. I came to say hi and to tell you that Kaede has something for you. Did you bring me anything?"  
  
Kagome let out a laugh due to the fact that Shippo had said the entire thing in one breath. She looked over at Inuyasha and the two of them reluctantly followed the kitsune out of their hut and over to Kaede's to see what she had for them.  
  
When they reached Kaede's hut, they found Sango and Miroku there as well. Sango told Kagome that she and Kaede had been working on their first baby present for Kagome and Inuyasha. Kaede brought out a small sack. Inside were a miniature red yukata and a small blanket.  
  
"Thanks minna," Kagome replied and Inuyasha actually nodded in agreement.  
  
"Now," Kaede said, "why don't you two head home? I'm sure you want to spend a bit of time alone together."  
  
Inuyasha sent Kagome a smirk and the picked her up and carried her off back to their home. Ch. 2  
  
A week later Kagome was returning to the future to visit her doctor. She was a bit reluctant to leave however since Sango had not yet given birth. "Someone will come tell me if anything happens?" she asked. Inuyasha nodded. He wasn't coming with her because the recent snow had caused some of the villagers' roofs to fall in and he had been asked to help with the repairs. After much insistence from Kagome he had finally agreed, although he was still weary of the fact that Kagome would be traveling without him.  
  
When Kagome got back through the well she called for a cab, knowing that Inuyasha would not be happy if he found out that she had walked to the train station in the freezing cold weather in her condition. When the cab arrived she yelled to Sota, "Sota, Inuyasha might show up later. If he does can you bring him on the train or call him a cab? Thanks." She then hopped into the back seat and told the driver the address of the doctor's office.  
  
Kagome was enjoying the ride. There was snow everywhere and it made the world look absolutely gorgeous. She found herself thinking about taking her child out during the first snow of next year. She was pulled out of her thoughts; however, as she noticed the cab driver had slowed down considerably.  
  
"Sorry, miss. We've got to go slow. These roads are getting kind of slick."  
  
Kagome nodded, "Take your time. I mad sure to give us plenty of time to get there."  
  
Despite the slow going, Kagome continued to enjoy the ride. Her driver turned out to be one of the chatty types. He talked with her about both of their marriages and congratulated her when she informed him that she was pregnant. He asked her about life at a shrine and she asked about his family. The talked about music, movies, and sports. All in all it was quite a pleasurable drive.  
  
That changed, however, when they were about five minutes away from the doctor's office. At that point the car next to them hit a patch of ice. It first swerved away from them before over-correcting and clipping the front end of the cab. The impact sent the cab spinning across the lane.  
  
For Kagome, time slowed. Her mind was filled with her memories of Inuyasha. She saw the moment she told him she was pregnant, their wedding in her time, his proposal, their last fight with Naraku, the time he had cried for her, coming back after he had chosen to protect Kikyou, him pushing her through the well after their second fight with Sesshomaru, the first time she saw him in his human form, the fights with the Thunder Brothers and Yura. Finally, she way him as she had first found him, pinned to the tree. She looked out the window to find herself heading straight toward a giant tree, How ironic, now I'll be the one stuck to a tree. That was her last thought before everything went black.  
  
Back in Sengoku Jidai, Sango had just gone into labor. As Miroku ran off towards Kaede's hut, Inuyasha yelled to him, "I'm gonna go tell Kagome. We'll be back here as soon as possible." When he was halfway to the well he felt tightness in his chest, Something's wrong. Kagome's in trouble. He increased his speed, his worry causing his adrenaline to increase his already abnormal speed. When he reached the other side, he found Sota running out towards the well and he saw flashing lights coming from the front of the shrine.  
  
"Inuyasha," Sota gasped, "I was just coming to get you. The police are here. There was an accident. Kagome's been hurt really badly. Make yourself look human and they'll drive us to the hospital."  
  
Inuyasha transformed and the two of them ran to the house. Inuyasha was a nervous wreck the entire ride to the hospital. He had known he shouldn't have let Kagome leave by herself and now she had been hurt and the ice was making it take forever to get to her. It was driving him insane that he didn't even know how bad her condition was.  
  
When they reached the hospital they raced to the information desk and asked about Kagome. The nurse shuffled through some papers and told them, "It appears she is still in the ER. If you'll please take a seat, someone will be around soon to talk with you."  
  
Sota let out a half whimper, "She's still in the ER? That can't be good. She must be hurt really, really badly."  
  
Inuyasha, in a daze, walked over to the waiting area and took a seat, with Sota sitting down beside him. About five minutes later, a doctor came out of one of the rooms and walked over to them, "Are you Kagome Higurashi's family?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded, "This is her brother and I'm her husband. He mother is also probably on the way."  
  
The doctor nodded and motioned for them to follow him. He ushered them into a smaller room. He looked right at Inuyasha and said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you, but we lost the baby. There was nothing we could do."  
  
Inuyasha felt as if his heart shattered. Then he gulped and nervously asked, "What about Kagome? She'll be okay, won't she?"  
  
Kagome had to be all right. Inuyasha didn't know what he would do if he lost Kagome. He looked up to see the doctor's face and regretted doing so as he was met with a grim expression.  
  
Ch. 3  
  
The doctor looked very seriously at Inuyasha and Sota, "Kagome has sustained very serious injuries. She has suffered a broken arm, broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken cheekbone, some lacerations, as well as some internal bleeding and a possible head injury. At this point she is in a coma and it is really too early to tell if she will recover. She's being moved up to the intensive care unit, once she arrives there, you may go in and sit with her for short periods of time. Sit with her, talk to her. There is some reason to believe that she will still here you."  
  
Inuyasha nodded and followed the doctor out of the room and up to the floor where the intensive care unit was. When he and Sota arrived, they found Mrs. Higurashi talking anxiously to one of the nurses at the desk. Inuyasha headed over and put a hand on his mother-in-law's shoulder.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi jumped and turned around, "Oh! Inuyasha." She didn't get any farther though as some orderlies appeared, bring Kagome up to her cubicle. As anxious as he was to see his wife, Inuyasha was prepared to let her mother see her first. But Mrs. Higurashi refused and sent Inuyasha in to sit with Kagome.  
  
When he walked into the room, Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat. Kagome lay on a bed attached to all kinds of tubes and machines, looking more fragile than he had ever seen her before. She was covered in scratches and slowly developing bruises. Her right cheek was extremely swollen and she was developing a couple of black eyes. The sight brought tears to Inuyasha's eyes, especially since he knew he couldn't even see the worst of the damage. He pulled the chair in the room over to the side of her bed and took her hand that was not splinted. He used his other hand to brush her bangs off her forehead as he began to talk to her. "Oi, wench," he started with affection, trying to get a reaction out of her. When he got none he continued on, "It was worth a try. Anyway you have to hang in there Kagome. We've already lost the baby. If I lose you too, I don't know what I'll do. You have to open your eyes. Come back to me."  
  
He watched her for a few minutes but she have him no sign that she had heard him. Somewhat dejected, he laid his head down nest to hers on the pillow, trying to take in as much of her as possible I case he didn't get another chance. He stayed like this until the nurse came in to tell him his time was up. Then, before getting up to leave, he leaned towards Kagome's ear and whispered, "I love you Kagome. Now and forever." For a fraction of a second he could have sworn she squeezed his hand but it was over so fast that he concluded that it must have been his imagination.  
  
He walked into the hallway only to be pounced upon by Shippo who had suddenly appeared with Miroku. "See?" Shippo exclaimed, "I told you I would find him." "Ah, Inuyasha," Miroku said, "We came to find you and tell you that Sango has given birth to a healthy baby boy. We have named him Yusuke." Inuyasha lifted his tear-stained face to meet Miroku's beaming one.  
  
"Why Inuyasha, what is wrong?"  
  
"You guys don't realize what this place is do you? This is where they bring sick and injured people in this time. Kagome was involved in a bad accident before I got here. She lost the baby and the doctors don't even know for sure that she'll survive," by the time Inuyasha had finished explaining, he was actively crying again.  
  
This news stunned Miroku, "Oh. Oh, my. I am so sorry. I-I didn't know."  
  
Inuyasha nodded in acknowledgment and turned to walk back towards Kagome's family, which now included her grandfather as well. Miroku gathered up Shippo and the two left to give Inuyasha and the Higurashis time to deal with this news and to go tell Kaede and Sango what had happened. It wasn't something he was looking forward to, but Inuyasha was obviously in no condition to be the one to do it.  
  
When they reached the village in Sengoku Jidai, Miroku and Shippo reluctantly stepped into Kaede's hut, where Sango was also staying. Sango watched her husband walk in and smiled, "Where are Kagome and Inuyasha?"  
  
Miroku sighed, "I'll tell you in a minute. Where is Kaede-sama?"  
  
"She's in the back room," Sango replied, her smile fading.  
  
Miroku went to get Kaede. When he brought her back, he looked at the women and said, "I'm afraid I've got some bad news. As you know, Shippo and I went to find Inuyasha and Kagome-sama to tell them of Yusuke's birth. Well we found them. At a place where they take the sick and injured in that time. Apparently, before Inuyasha got to the other side of the well, there was an accident. Kagome-sama has been hurt quite badly. She and Inuyasha have lost their baby and there is no guarantee the Kagome-sama herself will survive either."  
  
He heard Sango gasp and watched Kaede's eyes cloud over at the news. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Sango began to cry. Kaede then spoke up, "This is horrible. What a dreadful situation to have happen to Inuyasha and Kagome. Even if Kagome survives, Inuyasha has lost the child he was so looking forward to. This is one more blow to him in the rough life that he has lived. If he loses Kagome as well, it could end up being more than he can handle."  
  
The others thought about what she said. As devastating as they found the situation, it couldn't even come close to what Inuyasha must be going through. Ch 4  
  
Inuyasha sat by Kagome's bedside. It was two days after the accident and there was no improvement. It seemed to Inuyasha that the doctors did not seem very hopeful for Kagome's recovery. But that did not stop Inuyasha. His hope that Kagome would pull through was all that kept him going. His eyes traveled over her face. It looked worse than it had the first day, now that the bruises had had time to fully form. The image of his Kagome looking so fragile caused Inuyasha to wince. Every time he entered her room he pleaded with her to wake up. He would occasionally get a small reaction such as a finger twitch but she was not waking up.  
  
A noise at the door made him turn around. Mrs. Higurashi was standing in the doorway, waiting to take her shift at Kagome's side. She looked at him and said, "You should try to get some sleep. You know I'll come get you if she starts to wake up."  
  
Inuyasha nodded and turned back to his wife and before leaving he whispered to her, "Kagome, please listen. You have to wake up, for me. I need you. I would give up everything I have for you to wake up." This time he got no reaction so he sighed and kissed her forehead then went off in search of a place to catch some sleep. Before drifting off, he prayed to every god he could think of for Kagome's recovery.  
  
When Inuyasha awoke it was to Sota calling his name right in his ear. Fearing the worst, Inuyasha shot upright on the couch he had been using as a bed, "What is it? Is Kagome okay?"  
  
Sota nodded, "The doctor came in and took her of the respirator. She's breathing on her own now."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened in excitement, "Is she awake?"  
  
"No, sorry. But the doctors are almost positive that she will wake up now," Sota answered.  
  
Inuyasha nodded and smiled down at Sota before taking off towards Kagome's room. He was kind of surprised to see that not much had changed. Kagome herself didn't actually look any better. She just had less wires and tubes attached to her. He smiled sadly at her still form then took his usual seat at her bedside. This was sheer torture for him, knowing that there was nothing he could do to help the one he loved. No youkai had ever hurt him this much. He placed his head down beside Kagome's on the pillow so he could whisper his thoughts to her. Soon, he was asleep like that, having been completely exhausted by the events of the last few days.  
  
Inuyasha had a wonderful dream as he slept by his wife's side. In his dream she was awake and healthy again and the two of them were back at their home having dinner with three children, two boys and a girl. It was a perfect family dinner with everyone happy and enjoying themselves. When everyone finished and the children were put to bed, he and Kagome got to spend some time alone, without Shippo interrupting.  
  
A slight movement by Kagome awoke Inuyasha for the second time that night. As reality came back to him, Inuyasha felt like crying for the lost happiness of his dream. He wanted so much for that to become reality and yet he was still living with the fear that it might not ever be possible, the fear that he might once again be left alone. It took everything in him to keep himself from shaking Kagome and yelling at her to wake up. It didn't help that if he had just come to this time with her, this whole thing would never have happened.  
  
After about an hour of going over these thoughts in his head, Inuyasha had all but exhausted himself and decided he would head back to the waiting room to try for the third time that night to get some sleep. He performed the act that had become a ritual for him, grasping her had in his as he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead and whispering, "Please wake up soon."  
  
This time when he did so, though, there was a very definite response from Kagome as he felt her squeeze his hand momentarily. Not wanting to get his hopes up too much, Inuyasha pulled back to look at her face. Then his hopes did go up as he noticed that Kagome's eyelids were fluttering. He leaned over a little and said, "Come on Kagome. Time to wake up."  
  
He was well rewarded when Kagome opened her eyes and looked into his. "Welcome back," he said with a relieved smile on his face, "Hold on for a second. I'll go get your mom and the doctor." With that said, Inuyasha leaned out the door and yelled down the hall that Kagome had woken up. Even in her hazy state, Kagome had to smile at Inuyasha's way of alerting the others.  
  
Kagome's family arrived in no time and there was such a crowd that Inuyasha couldn't even see Kagome for a few minutes. But after the doctor had checked her out and her family had spent some time with her, he was allowed to be alone with her once again.  
  
As Inuyasha took he place by her bedside, he refused to take his eyes off Kagome, fearing that if he did she might disappear and he would wake up to find this all a dream. He pulled her into a light embrace. When he pulled back he said, "I was so afraid. I thought I was going to lose you."  
  
She couldn't speak due to have a tube down her throat but she mouthed back, "I had the strongest person I've ever met here to help me through."  
  
Inuyasha smiled, "Aishiteru, Kagome."  
  
Kagome nodded to return the sentiment.  
  
"Well, you should get you rest. I'll stay here, right by your side." 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha I would not be writing fanfiction.  
  
A/N: Sorry about the wait every one. Apparently the computer that I have access to over break does not have Word. So that means that the next update probably won't happen until. I'm back at school next week. But to make it up to you, I'll try and make the next chapter longer than usual.  
  
When All Else Fails  
  
Ch. 5  
  
Inuyasha stayed by Kagome's side the rest of the night. In the morning he decided to got to the cafeteria and grab a cup of coffee and see if he could get some ramen. After he finished his breakfast, he headed back up to Kagome's room. When he was a couple of doors away he picked up the scent of salty water coming from Kagome's room. He rushed the rest of the way to find Kagome crying in her mother's arms.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi motioned for Inuyasha to come and take her place. He did so and started stroking Kagome's hair, asking gently, "What's wrong?"  
  
Mrs. Higurashi answered for her daughter, "The doctor's came in a few minutes ago. They told her about the baby."  
  
"Oh, Kagome. I'm sorry." Inuyasha whispered into Kagome's hair.  
  
Kagome sniffed and met Inuyasha's eyes, "Why are you sorry? It's not your fault. I'm the one who should be sorry. You were so excited and I had to go and be a 'weak human' again. I could've cancelled the appointment of taken the train. But no, I had to go on the icy roads. I'm so sorry."  
  
"No, it's not your fault. I wasn't there to protect you."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi decided to step in, "It's not anyone's fault. It was an accident. Neither of you could have known it would happen. At least there is still a chance that you'll be able to have children in the future."  
  
Although she knew that both Inuyasha and Kagome had heard her words, Mrs. Higurashi was a little discouraged that neither of them seemed any more hopeful than they had moments ago. She sighed. It was going to be a long, hard road for the two of them to find happiness again.  
  
TWO WEEKS LATER  
  
Kagome had been released from the hospital and Inuyasha was taking her back to their home in Sengoku Jidai. He carried her gently in his arms as he jumped through the well. They were met on the other side by Shippo.  
  
"Kagome!" exclaimed Shippo, "You're back! You're okay!"  
  
He took a flying leap at Kagome, only to be stopped by Inuyasha's foot, "Hold it, kid, she's not quite up to that yet." Then Inuyasha leaned down so that Shippo could give Kagome a gentle hug.  
  
Kagome gave Shippo a sad smile, "Hey there. It's good to be back." It was said half-heartedly with a small sigh at the end.  
  
Shippo glanced back and forth between the other two and noticed the concerned gaze with which Inuyasha watched his wife. He decided to try to lighten the mood, "You should stop by Kaede's, everyone's been really excited to see you again."  
  
Inuyasha looked to Kagome, who nodded and the three headed off towards Kaede's home. When they reached the village, they were warmly welcomed by several of the villagers. One ran off to inform their friends that they had arrived. Miroku and Kaede met Inuyasha and Kagome in front of the hut.  
  
"Welcome back." Kaede said.  
  
Miroku added, "Everyone's been awaiting your return. We're glad that you're okay. You should come in. Sango is waiting inside."  
  
They all entered the hut. Sango cheerfully greeted her friends, "Oh, it's so good to have you back here. You had us all quite worried, Kagome."  
  
"Well, as you can see, I'm doing fine," Kagome replied with forced cheerfulness.  
  
Sango was about to question her friend but changed her mind when she caught the warning glance that Inuyasha sent her. Instead she just nodded and replied, "Well, that's good to hear."  
  
Shippo, however, being younger, did not understand the situation quite as well and was the one to ask, "Are you sure you're okay? Something doesn't seem quite right."  
  
Miroku grabbed the kitsune and dragged him out of the hut. A moment later, there was a cry from the back room of the hut.  
  
"Oh!" Sango exclaimed, "That's Yusuke. I'll be right back."  
  
Kagome's eyes watered up, "Don't worry about it. I think it's about time for us to get going, anyway." She looked pleadingly up at her husband, who nodded in understanding and carried her back to their house. Once there, she broke down into tortured sobs. Inuyasha held her in his arms, ashamed that not only hadn't he protected her but also now he couldn't even comfort her when she was in so much pain.  
  
Well. There's this chapter. Sorry for the wait. And I'm sorry I have to make you wait again. But hopefully, I'll be able to put up a nice long chapter next time. 


	6. Chapter 6

Important Note: Last week I replaced the author's note that was chapter five with an actual chapter so if you have not yet read chapter five, go back and read it. It will make this chapter make more sense.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha I would not be writing fanfics. And I probably wouldn't still be in school. And I would probably actually have some money. So anyway, I don't own Inuyasha.  
  
A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up but I was really sick and stuck in bed, away from a computer. Oh, also, a warning: Shippo kinda OOC in this chapter.  
  
When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Weeks passed. Things were not going much better. Kagome kept herself locked up most of the time in the home she shared with Inuyasha. She would rarely come out and when she did so, it was only briefly. She hardly ate or slept. She just spent most of her time crying or staring into space.  
  
Inuyasha was at a loss, trying to come up with ways to comfort his wife. He tried everything he could think of. He held her, talked to her, he'd even brought her flowers but nothing seemed to help. He was starting to feel useless to her. The others told him he shouldn't feel that way since he was the only one who could get any reaction out of her at all, not to mention the only one who could get her to eat anything.  
  
Still, as time went by, his feelings of helplessness increased, as did his worry. He had even tried taking Kagome back to her time, but that seemed to leave her even more withdrawn. The others were visiting less and less frequently partly because it depressed them to see Kagome in her current state and partly because Sango and Miroku couldn't bring Yusuke with them, for fear of making Kagome worse.  
  
Inuyasha himself was starting to become more withdrawn. It pained him to see what was happening to Kagome and he felt that since he couldn't help her in any way, that he could see, that he did not deserve to be with her. He spent most of his time in the trees in his forest. Sometimes he would disappear for days at a time. He would lose track of time as he wandered around in an almost trance-like state. The others noticed that this separation from each other wasn't doing either of them any good. They just didn't know how to help.  
  
Eventually, the night of the new moon came (A/N: although earlier, Inuyasha could control what form he was in he still turns human with the new moon). Inuyasha hadn't been seen all day. As the night fell and temperatures dropped over the already snow covered world, even Kagome became aware enough to be worried over Inuyasha's safety. Leaving Yusuke in Kaede's care, Sango and Miroku decided to go out and look for the temporary human.  
  
After searching for about an hour, they found a half-frozen Inuyasha lying, unaware, in the snow. Between the two of them, they managed to drag Inuyasha back to Kaede's hut. Somewhere along the way, he fell completely unconscious. Once inside, they laid Inuyasha down near the fire, removed most of his wet clothing and wrapped him in blankets. As Sango and Miroku left to return home for the night, they sent Shippo off to try to bring Kagome to Inuyasha's side.  
  
Shippo rushed to Kagome and Inuyasha's home. He burst through the door, yelling at the top of his lungs, "KAGOME! KAGOME!"  
  
He was somewhat surprised when he actually received and answer. "Shippo, what is it?" Kagome asked, the worry evident in her voice.  
  
"It's Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku found him. He's in bad shape, Kagome. He's over at Kaede's. You need to go to him."  
  
While it was clear that Kagome wanted to go, she was still somewhat hesitant. Sensing the problem, Shippo reassured her, "Don't worry, Yusuke's not there. Sango and Miroku already took him home."  
  
Kagome nodded and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders before following Shippo out into the night and to Kaede's hut.  
  
They arrived to find Inuyasha still unconscious. Kagome ran over to his side, as Kaede stepped back to allow her room. She reached out to touch Inuyasha's face and gasped when her fingers made contact. He felt so cold. Kagome looked to Kaede, "Will he be okay?"  
  
"He should be, as long as we can keep him warm for the night. Can I leave that task up to you and Shippo?"  
  
Kagome nodded and Kaede headed into the back room to get some sleep. After staring at Inuyasha's still form for a few minutes, Kagome started to sob.  
  
Suddenly, Shippo decided that enough was enough. He just snapped. Giving it all he had, he started to yell at Kagome, "Damnit Kagome, snap out of it. I don't want to be mean but somebody needs to wake you up. The way you've been acting lately has been tearing Inuyasha apart. And now, because of that, he's physically hurt, too. And it's not doing you any good, either. I know you've been hurt but if you don't change something soon, one of you is probably gonna wind up dead. And I don't want that. You guys are like second parents to me. You've had everyone really worried. I know what happened was tragic, but you have to learn to move on, for everyone's sake."  
  
Kagome blinked as Shippo's words sank in. She slowly nodded, "You're right, Shippo." She wiped her eyes and crawled over to Inuyasha. "Well," she said with a small smirk, "I can think of one good way to help keep him warm." With that, she cuddled up with Inuyasha, falling asleep with him in her arms as Shippo stayed up to watch over the fire.  
  
Kagome awoke the next morning as someone stepped into the hut. She opened her eyes to find Sango, carrying Yusuke. When Sango noticed Kagome she exclaimed, "Oh, gomen, Kagome. I didn't realize you were still here. I'll come back later."  
  
"No, that's okay," said Kagome, shaking her head, "come on in. If you don't mind, I'd like to see my best friend's son."  
  
Sango looked shocked but nodded, handing Yusuke over for Kagome to hold. When Kagome looked at Yusuke's sleeping face, tears formed in her eyes. Sango was about to reach out and take Yusuke back when she noticed that in spite of the tears, Kagome had a small smile on her face.  
  
A voice behind them made them turn, "Ka-Kagome?"  
  
Kagome's smile widened, "Ohayo, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha smiled. His Kagome was back to normal. His eyes met hers, "Welcome back."  
  
"Yes, it's good to be back."  
  
This is not the end yet. There is at least one more chapter to come. I did my best to make this chapter longer to try to make up for taking so much time updating. I guess that's it until the next chapter. Ja ne. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Inuyasha.  
  
A/N: Okay. This is the last chapter. I'm sorry I took so long getting this up. Anyway, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story so far. I've really enjoyed them. So thanks.  
  
When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"I can't believe it's taking so long. What do you think the doctor is going to say?" Kagome anxiously paced the floor of the doctor's office.  
  
Inuyasha, smirking about the fact that for once he got to be the calm, level-headed one, replied, "I don't really know. I'm not any more of a mind reader than you are."  
  
Kagome glared at him, "You're really not helping."  
  
It had been almost a month since things had returned to relative normalcy. Not long after the day that Kagome had first held Yusuke, she and Inuyasha started talking about trying to have kids again. Now they were standing in the doctor's office, waiting to find out what the chances were that they would still be able to have children. Kagome was nervous about the appointment while Inuyasha seemed completely certain that everything would turn out all right.  
  
Finally, the doctor entered the room. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome around the waist to keep her from attacking the poor women (A/N: My doctor is a female).  
  
"Well, can we still have children or not?" Kagome asked impatiently.  
  
The doctor cleared her throat, "I'm afraid there is no way to be certain. No one can ever be sure that they'll be able to conceive or carry a child to full term until they actually do it. And you did receive some serious damage. It's only been, what, three months or so since your accident? But you are young and otherwise healthy. I would tend to believe you are still capable of having children. Of course, there is always the idea of adoption if it's not possible. But something tells me that you won't have to worry about that."  
  
Four months later, Kagome and Inuyasha received the answer they had been looking for as Kagome discovered that she was again pregnant. Not only that, but during an ultrasound, it was discovered that they were expecting not one, not two, but three children. If Kagome thought Inuyasha had been excited the first time, it was nothing compared to now. He once again ran through the village, telling everyone he ran into the great news.  
  
Kagome's family was extremely pleased with the news. Kagome's mother was especially thrilled to notice that her daughter and son-in-law were truly happy once again. And that she would get three adorable grandchildren all at the same time.  
  
Their friends in Sengoku Jidai were also thrilled for the couple. When they found out that Kagome and Inuyasha were expecting triplets, Miroku had gotten a lecherous look in his eye as he had turned to Inuyasha and exclaimed, "Triplets! Why you sly dog, you!" This had earned the monk a beating by Inuyasha.  
  
After nine months, Kagome had given birth to healthy triplets. She and Inuyasha had two sons and a daughter. Their names were Shigure, Shiro, and Shiori (A/N: For those who don't know, Shigure and Shiro are the names of characters from other stories who turn into dogs and in Mars, the character Shiori was compared to a Pomeranian).  
  
It was now three years later and Kagome and Inuyasha sat with their friends under the Go-Shinboku, watching their children play in the area.  
  
Yusuke, now four years old, looked very much like his father but was much more reserved. Thanks in part to his mother, he was actually extremely well mannered towards women and there was some hope that he wouldn't grow up to be a lecher. Along with Yusuke, Miroku and Sango were now expecting their second child and both were secretly hoping for a girl.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome's children were quite the mix of their parents. All three had the ability to change between human appearance and having their father's trademark dog-ears, fangs and claws. Shiori had her mother's raven hair and her father's gold eyes. Out of the three, she was the one whose personality most resembled Inuyasha's. She was extremely adventuresome and she had a tendency to sulk when things didn't go her way. Inuyasha spoiled her to no end. Shiro had a mass of white hair like his father, with his mother's blue-gray eyes. He was a cheerful, outgoing child with an infectious smile. Shigure was possibly the most interesting of the three. His hair was dark silver and his eyes were a vivid green. Interestingly enough he was also the one of the children who seemed most likely to take on Miroku's lecherous personality and he was happiest when surrounded by females.  
  
Inuyasha looked around and thought about how nice it felt to be surrounded by his friends and family. There had been a time when he hadn't been able to imagine living like this. And now he had found true acceptance and happiness living a relatively peaceful life. As Kagome snuggled up to him, he suddenly realized that things would be all right from now on. Despite everything they had already been through and anything they might go through in the future, he knew that everything would be okay because the one thing that he had learned through all of this was that even when all else fails, love and friendship would help them pull through. 


End file.
